Collapsible tube and cover



Patented' Mey 24, 1932 MYI-[OND BOOTH, OF CITY' ISLAND, NEW YORK COLLAPSIBLE TUBE 'AND COVER Application nl ed'ctober 28,1931. Serial No. 571,788.

Thissinvention has'reference to closures for containers especiallyto the kind that are known as collapsible tubes, used for holding various substances in the nature'of a paste,rthat can be readily extruded through the reduced opening at the'top by pressure on the side walls; and which tubes are provided with a suitable closure, that is usually a threaded cap, that must be removed for delivery of the contents, and which frequently becomes lost. y

The object of the present invention is to provide a device Vof this character with a special form of closure, that is hinged to u t e' delivery end, and retained closed byv a vsuitable locking means, and which closure or cap is provided with means, at once swinging it to the open position, on release of the locking means.`

In the accompanying drawings showing one embodiment of my invention: Figure 1'is a top plan view.

' Fig. .2 vis a transverse section `at the delivery end. t

gig. 3 is a partial prospective view at this en Fig. 4 shows the cap detached. Fig. 5 is an axial section at the upper end.

Fig. 6 shows the spring separately.

7 is a reduced view of the entire' device. l

Fig. 8 shows another form of spring.

As shown in the drawings, the tube 2' has a reduced tubular extension 3, connected with the body by a conical wall 4. The extension is shown as having the outer'wall 5 conical and preferably curved.

lThe cap is shown in the form of an end wall 6, and a side conical wall 7. Lugs arev 40 provided on the cap, and on the extension,

that are aperturedI to receive a hinge pin, `so that the vcap can swing from aposition closing the extension, to a fully open position as indicated in Fig. 5. As shown, I pro- .45 vide lugs 8 and 9 cn the tube extension, with suitable apertures, and the cap side wall 7 iis provided with an apertured lug 10. -A p in 11 passes through these apertured lugs as shown, and will support the cap to swing in the manner set forth.

lock, and this tensioned spring 15 wi Suitable locking means are provided to hold the cap in the closed position, such as a lu or projection on one of these members, an a similar socket or cavity in the other mem,- ber, so that the natural spring or elasticity of the cap, usually made of thin sheet metal, will cause the lug to enter the cavity, as shown.- The extension is provided with a g lug 12, and the cap with a portion depressed from the inner lwall to form a socket 13', thatv e0 when the cap is swung to closed position will cause the cap to spring out, and then the" socket portion will engage the lu and hold the capI in closed position. Pre erably an extensloii 14 is provided on the cap, in the 65 I nature oflan ear or finger piece, wherebiy1 the user can press this part of the cap outwardly, and upwardly,-t'o open the tube. o

Means are further provided for swinging the .cap to the open position as soon as the 7'0 locking means for the cap has been released,

which is preferably in the form of a small flat spring strip 15, shown in Fig. 6. This s ring has a curved portion 16, and a rather at portion 17 at one end with the extremity `75 18 bent downwardl The extension is provided with a flat wa l 19 below the hinge that contains a small slot 20 adapted to receive the bent end 18 of the spring. Before the cap is applied by the hinge arrangement, this -30 slot, that is exposed between the lugs 8 and 9, will have the end 18 of the spring inserted, and the adjacent wall 15 will rest on the fiat f `wall 19, with the curve portion 16 extending upwardly. ThenAthe ca'p is applied by the 85 hinge pin, and the lug portion 10 of the cap will be positioned directly above the spring at its mounting, and will lock the spring in this position. The curved endv of the sprin will engage the inner wall of the cap; an .90

vthis curve is so designed that when the cap is swung to the -closed position, its engagement with the end of the spring will pull it over bending it into a socket portion 21 in the extension, as indicated in Fig. 5. The locking means will hold the cap in the closed position. When access is deslred to remove the contents of the tube, the finger vpiece 14'is pressed outwardly to release the calp at the at' once 1 1 00 swing the cap to the fully open position, as indicated in Fig. 5. Instead of the plate spring shown in Fig. 6, I have used a spring 22, made from a plece of spring wire, with 5f the bent 23 at one end in which case the opening 20, in the extension is merely a ,round hole instead of a flat slot. See Fig. 8.`

It will oc seen that a device of`this character is very simple and of low cost of production, the tube is simply molded to the form shown, by suitable dies, and the lugs will have the holes made therein.

The cap is pressed out of sheet metal in the usual manner, that is a simple operation.l 15, The plate spring is simply bent to the form shown; and the tube is provided with the hole foi` the spring. To assemble these parts the spring is simply placed in position, the cap applied and the hinged pin inserted and secured, when the device is ready for use.

- What I claim is:

1. In a closure for a collapsible' tube. a tube having at the reduced end a tubular extension of conical form on its outer wall yand provided at the base of the yextension with apair of spaced apertured lugs, a cap having a top with the sides of conical form slightly larger inthe inner walls to engage said extension outer wall, the cap having an apertured lug at the base adapted to fit between said lugs, a hinge pin located in the lugs of `the cap. and of the extension whereby the "cap can swing from a closed position in enclosed position, the tube at the base ot the extension directly below said hinge pin being provided with a flat wall containing a having one end portion bent ata right angle to be inserted in said extension Vhole with the spring engaging the saidilat wall, which spring is located beneath the hinge lug of the ca and thereby retained in such position, t e spring beyond said end portion extending upward with its 'extremity engaging the inner wall of the cap and under tension when the cap is closedto swing the cap to the open position on release of the cap at its said locking portion. 2. IIn a closure for a collapsible tube, a

tube having at the reducedy end a tubular exnsion of conical form on its outer wall and provided at the base of the extension with a pair of spaced apertured lugs, a cap having a top with the sides of conical form to engage said extension outer wall, the cap having an apertured lug at the base adapted to it between said lugs, a hinge pin located in the lugs of the cap and of the extension whereby the cap can swing from a closed position in engagement with the said ex.-

tension wall back to-a fully. open position,- '05 the cap and. extension on the side opposite having at thev reduced end 'a tubular extension gagement with the said extension wall back hole extending downwardly, and a spring.

' thereby retained in such posltion, the spring beyond said end portion extending upward with its extremity engaging the inner wall of thecap end undertension when the cap is closed to swin the cap to the open position on release of the cap Iat its said locking portion.

3. In a closure for a collapsible.tube,'a tube of conical form on its outer wall and providv ed at the base of the extension with a pair of spaced apertured lugs, a cap having a top with the sides of conical form to engageg'said extension outer wall, the cap having an apertured lug at the base adapted to t between said lugs, a hinge pin located in the lugs of the cap and'of the extension whereby the cap can swing from a closed position in engagement with the'said extension wall back to a fully open position., the cap and extension on the side opposite the hinge having a lug on one member and a socketon the other member adjacent the cap margin to lock the cap in the closed position, the cap having an ear projecting outward at the lockingportion to release the cap when locked, the tube at the base of the extension directly below said hingev pin being provided' with a flat wall containing a slot extendingy downwardly, and a spring having one end portion bent at a right angleto be inserted in said extension hole with the spring engaging the said fiat-wall, which spring is located beneath the hinged lug of the cap and thereby retained in such position, the spring beyond. said end portion extending upward with its extremity engaging the inner wall of the cap and under tension when the cap is closed to swin the cap to the open position on release' of t e cap at its said locking portion. f l

4. In a closure for a collapsible tube, a tube n having at the reduced end a tubular extension of conical form on its outer wall and provided at the base of the extension with an apertured lug, a cap'having a top with the sides of conical form slightly'largerl in the inner walls to engage said extension outer, wall, the cap having an apertured lug at the base, a hingepin located in the lugs of the cap and of the extension whereby the cap can swing from v' a closed position .in en-Q v gagement with the said extensionwalL-'back toa fully open position, thefap and extensionv having means to 1ook ;tl1e*C 5P the closed'iliaiiu position,'the tube at the base of theextension directly below said hinge'pin beingprovided with a at wall containing a slot extending downwardly, and a spring having one en 5 portion bent at a right an le to be inserted in said extensionhole wit the spring engaging the said Hat wall, which spring 1s 1ocated beneath the hinged lug of the cap and thereby retained in such posltion, the sprin 1 beyond said end portion vextending upwar with its extremityl engaging the inner wall of the cap and under tension -when the cap is closed to swin the. cap to the open position on release of t e cap at its said locklng portion.

Signedat New York, N. Y. on this 26th day of October 1931. v

f RAYMOND BOOTH. 

